Top 5 reasons to “Light the Path” with Pete G(even if you don’t want to teach yoga…)

As I padded up the steps of the Forrest Yoga Institute in Santa Monica to begin a month-long teacher training on a chilly March morning, I assumed I was the only person in the studio who had no intention of teaching yoga. I was in the midst of a quarter (ok, let’s be honest, a 33%) life crisis that involved a recent job break-up, and was deeply questioning both my chosen career path AND my purpose in life.

A couple of years prior I’d taken up yoga and noticed how it helped me release old habits and negative thought patterns (along with my uber tight hams and hips). I was fascinated by the practice and wanted more than I could get from a simple 1.5 hour flow. I thought an entire month of yoga and meditation would help guide me in the right direction, even if I had no intention to teach.

I was right. With daily meditation and yoga, I found a deeper connection to my spirit, my community of yogis, and the world at large. With this (re)connection came a renewed sense of purpose – to spread love and kindness, regardless of the career I chose.

As I mentioned above, I also thought I would be the odd-ball…that every other teacher trainee would be inspired to lead classes of sweaty students in jam-packed studios around the Bay Area except yours truly.

But I was wrong. Not only was I NOT the oddball, I was in good company. When my teacher asked each of the participants to share why they chose to attend yoga teacher training, I was surprised by the number of people who said things like, “ I want to feel more confident practicing alone,” “To work on myself,” and “To spend a month being in an intentional community.”

“Why on earth would someone spend an entire month practicing, learning, teaching, and sitting without the aspiration to teach?” you might ask. The answer to this question has many answers, but, in the interest of your time, I’ve whittled it down to my top 5:

1. To learn how to guide yourself in meditation and practice.

We are our own best teachers but, ironically, many of us have never been guided to pause and listen to our wiser selves. Yoga teacher training is a time to breathe, self-reflect and learn to listen to the guru within. I have implemented many exercises and techniques in my training to help guide you on the path to discover your wiser self and gain more confidence practicing yoga (and life!) on your own.

2. To heal yourself with yoga and fully embody your spirit.

The deeper your practice, the deeper you will understand yourself: your strengths, your sensitivities, and your path to healing. THIS is the place from which you will learn the most profound life lessons, and THIS is the place from which you will begin to live in greater peace.

To embody spirit, we must discover and tend to both the lightness and the darkness within ourselves. Our time together will be spent practicing releasing what no longer serves us and learning new ways to embody our true nature.

3. To deepen your understanding of the rich history, philosophy, and transformative qualities of yoga.

Gaining a deeper connection to the generations of yogis who have come before you, and learning how the practice has evolved will help you discover how to practice in a way that is right for you. Learning the principles in the Yoga Sutra, Bhagavid Gita, and Vedas will inspire you to continue a daily practice with the wisdom of history as your guide.

4. To be guided in creating new, healthy habits.

In community, we meditate and practice daily to help release negative patterns and stories and allow new ones to take hold. We learn how to bring forgiveness, compassion, and non-attachment to our practice, and in our life, and how these healthy habits enable us to identify the needs of the spirit and embrace and love ourselves as we are.

5. To learn to speak, move and live authentically.

Learn how to find your voice and your passions, and feel grounded while speaking your truth from the heart – even in difficult situations – and how doing so will transform your life and enable you to live authentically.

Come join me this July (or September!) at Yoga Tree for my Lighting the Path 200 Hour Teacher Training. Together we will light the path to our spirits with love, sweat and tears. For more information, please click here, or email me at training@petegyoga.com.

Namaste,
Pete

PS – For those of you who DO intend to teach, rest assured that I spend a great deal of time teaching students how to effectively queue and demo for, adjust and guide students. I also teach the basics of history, philosophy, meditation, pranayama, sequencing, anatomy and how to build a career as a teacher. All of the skills outlined above are designed to supplement our technical learning and help you discover and feel confident in your unique teaching style.

About the Author: Pete Guinosso is known for his spiritual yet light-hearted environment for students to discover the deeper benefits of Yoga. Pete’s ability to compassionately guide students of all levels through a vigorous asana practice makes his classes amongst the most dynamic in the Bay Area.

In addition to teaching classes, workshops and retreats, Pete mentors and leads teacher training programs and workshops. He is a faculty member of the 200hr and 500hr Yoga Tree Teacher Training Program. His intention in instructing teachers is to share the value of quality sequencing and hands-on adjustments so that new teachers can bring healing to their own communities. Having studied with Ana Forrest since 2003, and assisted her in her workshops and teacher trainings, Pete is passionate about helping teachers build trust in themselves and become their “wiser self,” the place from which he encourages them to teach.